The organizations proposal demonstrates the decrease in health care costs on a National level through the growth of their program, which mitigates alcohol-impaired driving. “The number of fatal crashes and injuries in the U.S. related to alcohol-impaired driving effectuates increases in health care costs, insurance costs, and decreases medicare efficiency.” Seanna Smallwood explained. They have developed a capacity building designated driver program which models that of NHTSA guidelines for Highway Safety, thus, affords participating States the opportunity to procure funds through the Federal NHTSA grant.

The program has expanded to Colorado, Delaware, Virginia, Louisiana, California, and of course, throughout their ‘home State’ of Maryland. Could the U.S. economy actually recover from its deficit with a program [such as this] that offers a solution to a problem that costs Americans $ 1.73 million per person killed? If the Will Be Designated Driver program is properly funded as outlined in the program budget, the end-result could be an average of $ 46,068,170,000 American Dollars saved per year.

In preparing their funding proposals and procurement of National-level Corporate Sponsors for each State and County in which they serve – on task for launching a total of twenty States in 2012, research shows a possible economic recovery with the simple, life-saving program. The analysis shows the Federal Government throwing bad dollars after good dollars in a safe recovery plan. Smallwood explains, “When carefully analyzing where Federal monies are spent contributing to deficits, finding a solution to any problem that assists in an economic crisis is the fundamental starting point for such recovery.”

According to NHTSA data, alcohol related crashes cost Americans $ 46 billion per year. When that number is broken down, a determination that alcohol-impaired driving costs American Government/tax-payers and business approximately $ 1.73 million per death (The Highway Safety Desk Book, 2003). NHTSA also reports drunken driving crashes are a leading cause of death among young people in the U.S.

Between 1982 and 1993, drunken driving caused 266,291 deaths this means, every 30 minutes, someone lost their life during that 10-year span (The Highway Safety Desk Book, 2003). In 2003, NHTSA reported approximately 275,000 people were injured due to an alcohol related accident, (NHTSA, 2009). The entire United States of America, every State, and every County, city, and municipal government should be alarmed at these numbers.

Every business in the following industries should partake in this proposed solution, as each category is affected by just one alcohol related crash fatality: Life Insurance payouts, Auto Insurance/PIP payouts, Unpaid Hospitals/ER bills, Emergency Response Management (time and hours), Disability Insurance Organizations and Members payouts, administrative processing, Medicare payouts, administrative processing, Courts and Administration, Jails (State and County Detention Centers), inmates, food, housing expenses and even individual stakeholders in the personal economies of every citizen. Furthermore, WIC/Food Stamps and Cash Assistance Programs stakeholders are also effected.

Another alarming aspect of the [financial and economic] affects of alcohol-impaired driving is the disabilities catagory. Vehicular crashes impact the following disabilities: arthritis, herniated discs, back pain, paralysis, fractures, sprains, strains, dislocations, contusions, burns, allergic reactions, depression, drug/alcohol substance abuse, anxiety disorders, headaches, insomnia, coma, chronic fatigue, sleep apnea, hepatitis, meningitis, hernia, cirrhosis of the liver, dental disorders, temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ), and other unclassified and undiagnosed categories. From the list, the only category that is likely NOT affected by alcohol impaired crashes is congenital anomalities, which only accounts for .4% of all approved claims in 2010 by the CDA (Council for Disability Awareness, 2011). The translation, 99.6% of all disability claims from the sample surveyed have approved disability claims from categories that potentially resulted from alcohol impaired driving crashes.

The need for viable options to avoid drinking and driving to be presented and readily available with a strong push from alcohol service establishments is imperative for persons that consume alcohol, and for the safety of each citizen in every community, County, and State. Alcohol and prescription drugs, although legal, impairs judgment. Several things occur while alcohol acts to depress the reticular activating system. First, the altering mechanism is depressed and a person does not become aware of potentially hazardous or dangerous situations that the sensory functions detect, (i.e, choosing to drive), as the sensory functions deteriorate and may not be supplying complete information to the brain, and in fact, any information is likely to be incorrect (Hangover Tips, 2011).

Second, a person’s motorized functions are impaired. Because of this, the person will feel less subdued and more self-confident about his/her driving skills. As a result, after having consumed alcohol, a person is more likely to drive and more likely to speed causing fatal situations which would normally be avoided, (Hangover Tips, 2011).

The economy is in such a state of dysfunction, especially among middle-class Americans, the financial impact of funding this program is exponentially positive. Unfortunately, there are no viable solutions to sustaining such a program without Federal, State, and County assistance for the first few years. Sustainability after further program development is however, possible.

The ripple-effect: more people would qualify for more jobs, less people would be incarcerated, businesses and middle-class Americans would have more disposable income, etc. Will Be Designated Driver, Inc. has developed the solution.

Can community leaders, Sheriff Departments, Chambers of Commerce, Liquor Boards, National, Regional and County-level Corporate Giving, and independent stakeholders work together to ensure sustainability? This objective is the organization’s top priority for 2012.